


i can hear your inner demons

by treetrunkdaddy



Category: Shall We Date?: Obey Me!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, First Kiss, Kissing, Love Confessions, Other, POV Second Person, Reader-Insert, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-22
Updated: 2020-12-22
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:14:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28228974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/treetrunkdaddy/pseuds/treetrunkdaddy
Summary: They say you can hear your soulmate's thoughts, but not in a very convenient way. Instead of a telepathic connection, it works more like a radio, the waves amplified by a strong emotional bond between soulmates or intense emotions.Your soulmate seems very,veryinterested in the occult. At least, that's what you thought until you get whisked away to the Devildom for an exchange program.
Relationships: Satan (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)/Reader
Comments: 3
Kudos: 116





	i can hear your inner demons

**Author's Note:**

  * For [somewhatdecent](https://archiveofourown.org/users/somewhatdecent/gifts).



Your pencil scratched against the paper hard enough to surprise you when nothing ripped apart beneath your lead. That was for the best, you supposed; the other side of the paper had nothing but multiple choice questions you weren’t entirely sure you had the right answer to and the thought of having to take yourself through your desperate reasoning again was almost enough to send you into tears. Normally, a test like this wasn’t enough for you to worry over. However, the voice raging in your head and throwing all kinds of expletives around your brain effectively harrowed you. The more it screamed, the harder you clenched your teeth, and eventually everything added up to a massive headache holding your patience - and all the information you diligently studied for this test, apparently - in a chokehold.

After staring at the final question on the packet, a monster of an essay that was worth more than the five other questions you just answered combined, you sighed and doodled the only diagrams you could remember that you _thought_ might be related and explained it halfheartedly. Glancing over your work, you hefted yourself out of your chair and turned in your papers, not bothering to collect your bags silently as the other students worked diligently. The moment you were out into the hallway, you sat on one of the uncomfortable benches nearby and cradled your head in your hands. 

As the voice yelled on, a few words popped out that you recognized. _“Stupid Lucifer”_ seemed a favorite phrase of your mysterious friend. Back when you used to care about what was being said in your head, you mused about him being a singer for some kind of metal band. Would your parents approve of a soulmate like that? Maybe, but the universe didn’t seem to care much for that. Other times, you’d catch snippets of what sounded like Latin, or an entirely new language you didn’t understand. Truth be told, you had no idea who your soulmate could be or what kind of person they were, and that used to excite you. Now, you just wished that they’d shut up.

Groaning, you grabbed your bags and trudged your way to the staircase before stopping in front of the bulletin board at the end of the hall. At this time of the year, it was covered in last-minute announcements and advertisements for programs that would take place over the summer. Raising an eyebrow, you saw one paper peeking out from underneath the others: “-vildom! New opportunities await!” After peering down the empty hallway one last time, you reached beneath the paper and ripped it down. The slick, laminated material would probably be too smooth to hold ink - maybe that’s why you couldn’t see the stamp of approval from the office on it. Shaking your head, you folded it and tucked it into your bag for later consideration before heading for the glass doors that kept you in your prison.

Maybe that mysterious poster could help clear your mind of the strange voice in your head.

\--

“So you just found a poster hanging around your school and applied for a program to Hell?” Satan asked in a voice laden with disbelief. “No wonder you’re so happy-go-lucky down here. Who knows what you were expecting with a lackadaisical attitude like that.”

“Yeah, well…” You huffed, puffing out your cheeks for a moment as you ran your finger down the smooth surface of the table in front of you. “I don’t know if I’d put it into those terms.”

It was winter in the Devildom - at least, so you were told. It was December for sure, and you noticed that it was slightly cooler than it normally was, but that wasn’t saying much. Surrounded by the flames of hellfire, a crisp winter day was more like a sweltering furnace with the occasional soft breeze as the world’s halfhearted offering of peace. Still, you weren’t about to say no to a cozy outing with your favorite demon, sipping warm drinks and talking over a sticky table. In the back of your mind, a little voice laughed - some things would never change, regardless of the dimension you were in. 

Of course, you had left out a few important details in this retelling of your story, specifically the voice in your head that you used to curse at night for screaming endlessly. Soon after arriving in the Devildom, you realized that the voice you heard inside your head was no longer _inside_ your head and was instead coming from the bookworm you found yourself sharing a house with for the next year. At first, you wanted to think that it was just a coincidence - that maybe the two voices just sounded similar - but the more time you spent with Satan, and the closer the two of you became, the more you thought that wasn’t the truth.

“A-anyway, didn’t you ask me here so we could talk about that new book? I’m sure the Devildom’s hottest bestselling author is far more interesting than me,” You said, eager to get his eyes off of you. He was looking at you with an expression of mirth, a sly smile on his face and one eyebrow raised in suspicion. Even though you knew you could hear his thoughts on occasion, there were times when your mind was silent and yet you felt like you were still inside his head. Even when he was trying to hide his expression, you could still read the joy on his face when he managed to fluster you. 

“I suppose it is about time we get to that,” He agreed, sliding you the copy of the book. Knowing him, he probably knew that you were itching to avert your gaze, even without your red face giving it away. Normally, on outings like this, the book would go undiscussed, your conversation floating naturally to anything that found itself on your mind. He’d make it a point to give you his opinion later, of course - there was no escaping that, even if you wanted to - but the two-person book club was more of a front for his brothers than a faithful description of your outings.

Though he mercifully let you shift the topic of the exchange, he allowed the silence to stretch for a moment too long. As you hid your flushed face the best way you could, you thought for sure you could hear him chuckle. It was soft, though, almost like you were hearing him from across the room. Then, like the faintest whisper, you heard a soft and breathless _cute._

Unable to look him in the eye, you opened the book to any page and showed your face into it.

\---

You've had plenty of practice in forcing your feelings down almost as quickly as they came up after you wrestled with the fact that Satan was your soulmate. You were able to carry on with your 'date' with little incident after he had subtly teased you enough, and by the time you parted ways at the door to the House of Lamentation, you weren't even sure if he remembered your blush. Still, that didn't stop you from collapsing in your own room with a heavy sigh as soon as you shut the door.

Shortly after you arrived in the Devildom, you had felt a weird, gnawing feeling deep within when Satan would speak to you. But the exchanges the two of you had were normally short, formal enough to barely hide the snark - no, irritation- simmering just beneath the surface. His brothers, when you asked, would simply shrug and say that he was probably angry about something. Still, that answer didn't cut it with you. You knew there was something lurking just out of reach.

For a while, you only had your suspicions. Every now and again when passing him in the hall, you'd swear you could hear snippets of his thoughts. At dinner, you'd hear a sparky remark to Lucifer and turn to stare at him, only to see he had a belligerent expression on his face yet said nothing. Sometimes, you'd think of remarks of your own and hear the breath of a laugh immediately after, occasionally confirmed when he'd give you a playful glance over the top of his book.

Almost like a radio, the closer you got to him, the more you could hear what you swore were his thoughts. As you naturally spent more time together, idly chatting over tea or your textbooks, you'd catch bigger glimpses of his innermost thoughts. If you found yourself dozing off in the living room while Satan studied a spellbook, unfamiliar phrases of Latin would drift through your mind like they would in the human realm. When you studied with him silently across the table, you'd hear him murmuring about Advanced Spellcasting though you were reading about Devildom History.

The first time your suspicions were entirely confirmed, though, was less...sentimental. You couldn't remember the exact details: Satan had been genuinely angry about _something,_ enough that even you could admit it was his sin taking hold and not just his brothers brushing him off as they tended to do. If you could hear his voice in your head then, his real voice was drowning it out, thunderous and unwavering in its ferocity. His demon form was out, and he was wreaking havoc without prejudice. After a tense struggle with Lucifer, he eventually brought himself back down to earth. 

What you hadn't expected, though, was the rage that still lingered. On the outside, he seemed composed, albeit a little irritated still. But judging by the angry words bouncing in your skull that definitely weren't your own, he was still angry- at himself.

Without thinking, you started walking after him, hoping to ease the thoughts that were racing in your head. With so much energy behind his thoughts, they were all making it through to you, demanding to be heard by the both of you. The other brothers urged you not to follow him when he left, but you ripped your arm away from Mammon when he grabbed it. Nobody else made a move to stop you as you followed Satan to his room, trailing a fair distance behind as if you feared he might see you. When he went to slam his door, you jogged ahead and grabbed it just in time.

After a moment, Satan slowly opened his door, gazw flickering to your hand just inches away from being crushed before holding you in a steady glare. "I could've hurt you."

You only stared back, offering nothing in response to his remark. With a heavy sigh, Satan gently uncorked your fingers from around his door and tried to close it, only for you to push on it again. "Wait. I wanted to tell you something."

He didn't move to close the door anymore, but he didn't say anything either. Suddenly, you couldn't hear his voice anymore, and your mind went numb. The more the seconds passed, the more uncomfortable the air between you felt. 

"Well?" He finally asked. Startled, you jumped and cleared your throat.

"I- uh- it isn't true," You offered. "Your anger? It's not all your fault. And with brothers like those, I'm impressed you're able to keep your cool for that long. I'm sure you work hard for that."

Slowly, you let your hands slip down from the door to the doorknob, idly running your finger across the smooth metal as you waited for a response. Shuffling on your feet, you considered just cutting your losses and leaving before he suddenly ripped the door open.

"How did you know that?" In his eyes, something flickered, not as unkind as rage but just as passionate. Though his eyebrows were furrowed, he was more curious than anything, if not feeling slightly vulnerable.

That vulnerability was transferable, for you suddenly found yourself reaching for the doorknob and slamming the door. "It was just a hunch! See you at dinner maybe, bye!"

Now, after a few months of flirting with your secret smiles and casual dates, you became experts at skirting the main issue. After so many knowing glances, it just became normal to ignore the implications of your shared ability. Besides, you couldn't say you didn't enjoy the insider look at his thoughts. For someone with so many carefully placed masks, being able to pierce through each one was more often a blessing than a curse. 

A sudden, short series of knocks drew you out of your thoughts, a familiar sound to your ears. From the other side of the door, Satan called out, "MC, it's almost dinnertime. Are you alright?"

Without speaking, you moved away from the door and opened it just enough to let Satan in. Just before he shut the door, you heard a clang of pots from the kitchen. When he slid down to sit next to you, you said, "I thought you said dinner was ready?"

Satan shrugged. "Maybe I just wanted your attention. You left me pretty quickly after we got home."

"Oh, yeah…" You replied, offering no explanation. He didn't push for one, instead letting you lean your head to the side and keep it on his shoulder. 

"You were thinking pretty loud. Everything okay?" He asked, crossing his legs. For a moment, you wondered if he was finally pushing everything out into the open, admitting that he could hear your thoughts. Your heart raced at the thought, your chest feeling inflated like a frog's.

"I was thinking about you," You answered playfully, instead of asking _could you hear me?_ like you wanted to. You didn't need to look up at him - or try to tune in to his thoughts, for that matter- to know he was blushing. "Hey, Satan?"

"Hm?"

"Do you ever feel like you can read my thoughts?"

In the silence of the room, you could hear his breath catch in his throat. His hand reached for his collar to fiddle with it, trying to collect his thoughts. 

"I do know you very well, yes."

"That's not what I was asking."

"I know." Shuffling in discomfort, Satan leaned his own head on yours in an effort to calm your nerves. Surprisingly, it worked., but the longer it took to answer, the more your stomach twisted itself in knots. 

Heaving a sigh, you nudged him away so you could look at him. "I think you know what I'm talking about. We can't just...keep kidding ourselves about this."

You saw his lips quirk up, and suddenly doubt began to cloud your judgement. "Unless I'm wrong."

"No, no, you're not wrong," Satan answered quickly, finally turning to face you. You were right: he had been blushing earlier, and he still was. "I guess...I underestimated how brave you could be. With the way you're always acting, I shouldn't be so surprised."

"Why do you sound so disappointed?" You asked. He was being so cryptic, and you couldn't decide if you were right in your deductions. Was Satan even your soulmate, or was he just _really_ similar to whoever was? Why didn't you stop to think If he'd be disappointed by this conclusion?

But he was smiling at you, knowingly, as if he could read your thoughts- as if he was _currently_ reading your thoughts, which you were sure he wasn't. "Not at all. I just thought I might be the one to say it."

Now your heart effectively stopped before lurching into your throat, shutting you up before you even tried to speak. Noticing the suddenly dazed look in your eyes, Satan laughed and gently reached up to hold your face in one hand. 

"Well," You finally started, his cold hands snapping you out of your trance, "If it makes you feel any better, I haven't really said anything substantial yet. Feel free to take the stage any time."

He gave you another chuckle, and it was music to your ears. "You have such a witty mind, MC. It's been a pleasure to hear the remarks nobody else will get the chance to, and to know that there was a piece of you I'd have that nobody else would. And, if the rumors are true, taking things further might take that privilege away from me, I hope you won't mind still sharing your mind with me." His blush deepend, and he looked away for half a second before meeting your gaze again. "Maybe even your heart, too."

The words left your mind as soon as you realized how gently he was holding your face. The surge of confidence that spurred this conversation flooded through you again, and you decided that a more...physical acceptance would do the job just fine.

When your lips finally met his, he wasn't about to complain.

**Author's Note:**

> damn Satan why'd you have to confess like that MC was gonna try to use you for the Potions midterms smh
> 
> Happy Holidays! I really hope you like it! I needed practice writing Satan, so I was really happy to get your prompts! I hope I did him justice >///<


End file.
